Former federal corrections officer arraigned

ATLANTA -- Kenneth Holsey, a former corrections officer at Atlanta's United States Penitentiary was arraigned on Monday on multiple federal charges.

According to an official of United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates' office, Holsey, 45, allegedly gave cigarettes and a cell phone to a federal prison inmate in exchange for money, and made false statements to federal agents.

Holsey, of Riverdale, was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 27. He was released on bond.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, "Public officials who use their positions for their own financial benefit breach the public's trust. In this case, this corrections officer's duties were to maintain the safety, security, and good order of Atlanta's federal prison facility. Instead of fulfilling his duties, he allegedly abandoned his responsibilities in exchange for money, placing the safety of the prison staff, inmates, and the surrounding community at risk."

As the official reported, Holsey worked as a corrections officer at the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta at the time of the exchange, and has worked for the Federal Bureau of Prisons for 20 years.

According to the indictment, from May through September 2011, Holsey accepted a cash bribe from an inmate of the federal prison. In exchange, Holsey smuggled a cell phone into the prison for the inmate to use.

Holsey also accepted cash from the inmate and agreed to meet the inmate's girlfriend outside the prison. Holsey also smuggled cartons of cigarettes into the prison for the inmate to use.

Federal agents were investigating Holsey in early 2012, and recorded conversations between Holsey and the inmate. The federal agents were able to record a conversation between the two men that discussed smuggling a small amount of marijuana into the penitentiary.

During the recorded conversation, Holsey told the inmate that he would need to pay him in advance for the drugs, and got the inmate's girlfriend's contact information to make arrangements for the payment.

On the charges faced, Holsey could face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.